Stand your ground
by TeenageCrisis
Summary: First one-shot in VD series. Not for the first time Sakura thanked her inhuman reflexes as she dodged to the left before swinging a kick to his head. He blocked  with his forearm and turned his hand around to grab her leg in a heart's beat. 3yrs after VD


**Set between **_**Vampire Dates**_** and **_**Changing Faces.**_** Sibling one-shot to **_**Live as you are.**_

* * *

The sound of glass breaking reverberated around the room. Sakura took a deep breath an leaned down to pick up the pieces.

Three years. Three years of running, of hiding, of screaming at night that all the past few years would just blow away like the wind. That one morning she will wake up and find out the last three an a half years was just a dream. That Tsunade didn't tell her she had to find a mate, the Uchiha brothers didn't know she even existed, that her life was not spent running around in circles just to deter any male pursuers.

Sakura wasn't the type of person to create a pity party for herself. She wasn't the type of person to back down when an obstacle was found in her way, an the only way through seemed over the brick wall. No, she was the type that saw fit to just break it down until there was nothing left but dust. But three years of keeping out of contact with her friends and her parental-figures made her worn and tired mentally. Three years of making up aliases; building figurative bridges between the people shes met and associated with was starting to make her homesick. And going home was not an option. Sakura stood firm in her want for a life of companionship, not dictatorship. She didn't want to surrender to a male that only saw fit to have her as a life-maker for a future heir and then throw her to the shadows. Sakura wanted to feel a true bond of blood between her mate and herself.

She was starting to wonder if running away from the first stable home shes had in centuries was worth her selfish wanting.

~.~*~.~

Sakura held the phone in her hands, contemplating the cost of making the call. She was scared, for the first time since she accidentally let her vampiric side take over, she was scared. Sakura wanted to talk to her mother-figure Tsunade and her friends so much it was almost tearing her apart inside. Her emotions were going haywire. Her chest was tight and heavy, and she could almost feel that tingle feeling that comes with tears. Yet, her mind was running through thoughts a mile a minute. What if the Uchiha brothers got a hold of her friends and tapped their phones? What if Tsunade is so angry she wont want to talk to her? What if this, what if that. And the turmoil was killing her.

Sakura took a deep breath and dialed. _Bring...Bring...Bring...Bri-_

_"Hello?" _The air seemed to leave her lungs. Her throat tight and dry.

_"Hello? Look if your not goin to talk Ima just hang u-" _"Ino."

The line went silent for some time and Sakura was almost afraid she was going to hang up. Faintly she started to hear what sounded like someone trying to cover up there signs of crying. Her heart felt tighter and heavier with each sob she heard. Sakura never felt so sorry and selfish for herself. She couldn't remember Ino crying since the first couple nights she took her in all those years ago after her parents were killed. And now she was the cause.

_"S-Sakura? Oh, god please tell me, p-please tell me your really calling me?" _Her words were filled with tears.

"Yeah, Ino...its me." Everything she thought of to say was wiped clean from her mind. All she could concentrate on were the memories of a seven year old Ino crying her eyes out under the covers of her bed late at night with herself whispering comforting words as she rubbed her covered back. Sakura never felt so sorry. Ino looked to her like an older sister-figure, the only person she could connect with after the incident. And she ran away on her own selfish whim without a trace.

_"Geeze Sakura, you, you don't know what Ive gone through with you gone. No one could find you or get a hold of you at all and I just got so worried and I couldn't sleep or eat for a few days and then when I first talked to Tenten after you left and how she told me how you went ballistic over the whole mate thing and then she started talking about these two suitors of yours and how something might have happen with you and them and I was so scared...Sakura, please, just, just please tell me your o'k?"_ Inos words started to sound more clear and less water filled as she rambled.

"Yeah Ino, I'm fine. I um..I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left like that and not let you know. Its just that I didn't want to take any chances. I didn't want those um..suitors to come for me. I'm sorry Ino, I really am. I just didn't...I was afraid. I just, I just didn't want to end up like my mother. I'm really, really sorry." Sakura told her a short story of how she lived when she was younger, how her father had his authority complex over her mother and herself.

The line was silent for a minute which Sakura guessed Ino was trying to catch her breath and collect herself a little.

_"I'm glad, well about you being well that is. I uh..I guess I can understand. Just promise you will try to keep in contact from now on? I really don't know what I would do if I lost you too Sakura, so please?"_

"Yeah, I promise."

_"So um..How is everything where you are?"_

They ended up talking for four straight hours. By the time they ended the call it was starting to get dark. Sakura got dressed to leave for a nightly meal.

~.~*~.~

The gravel scattered as Sakura skid around the corner of the brick building. Applying a bit more pressure to the deep wound above her hip, she glanced behind her. Three shadows skirted around objects she threw in their way as she ran. Trust Sakura's luck she ran into a pack of weremyre's. Unlike vampires, the werewolves offspring can be both werewolf and human instead of only either one or the other.

_~Flashback~_

_Scouting out her new hunting ground, Sakura came across a strong wet dog scent. Thinking of confronting the alone or pair of werewolfs she ran in the direction the scent was strongest. Creeping along the tree tops she silently moved to overlook the narrow path that ran into the small town. Peeking through the branches, Sakura noticed there was five weremyre's instead of the werewolves she expected. One or two werewolves she could have handled, but not five weremyre's. They were smaller then their werewolf parents, but faster and stronger._

_She slowly started to back away, careful not to make a sound to their sensitive ears. Sakura was almost in the clear when one of them raised its head and sniffed the air before growling deep and looking right in her direction. Sakura's eyes widened as they leaped into the trees to chase. She turned around and flew across the next few branches before making the ground. She could sense them a few paces behind as she ran into an alley filled with garbage cans and other miscellaneous objects. They were right behind her when she threw one of the larger cans over, surprising one of the weremyre's into making a mis-step and falling. She was half-way through before one of them got close enough to trip her. She fell, hitting her head against a metal crate and scraping her side raw from the pavement gravel. The weremyre leaped for her, slicing open a deep wound above her hip before she kicked him off and started running again._

_~Flashback-END~_

The streets were all but deserted as she ran through. An old superstition kept all but brave few indoors at night, and good cause too, there were creatures like herself and the weremyre's chasing her about.

Sakura was starting to think about fighting them, even if she wouldn't come out the victor, when she sensed that familiar electric shock through her body. Another vampire was near by, and closing in, fast. For a minute Sakura feared it might be Sasuke, having seen his speed, but was slightly relieved when they showed up. Red hair, eerily light green eyes, and a tattoo for 'love' carved into his forehead.

Sakura came to a skidding halt a few meters in front of the unknown vampire. He stood tall and proud, dressed in a long elegant crimson shawled trench coat. With the moon shinning down and creating a stream of light in his eyes he looked every bit the deadly creature he was. His hard, calculating gaze was turned to focus on the remaining three weremyre's as they closed in behind her. His eyes changed into deadly poison emerald as he smirked with killing intent.

Sakura stood stock still in mild panic as she watched him cock his head to the side before he disappeared before her eyes. She swiftly turned around as she heard a screeched growl from one the creatures. The new vampire had attacked, leaving a large gaping would across the torso of one very angry looking weremyre. Sakura dared not to move as the moon turned crimson and gleamed its celestial light on the group.

"What a fitting night for blood to stain the ground of the great mother." The mysterious vampires smooth voice filled Sakura's senses, sending a shiver down her spine. It reminded her of the calm before a great storm.

The red fog filtered away into total darkness as the moon hid behind a few dark clouds, as if afraid to see the tragic scene about to take place. Sakura almost wished to do the same, but finding her eyes locked open and wide to the slaughter. The next few minutes were filled with horrifying growls and screams. She could hear the thuds and sicking squelch of blood as it splattered the ground and anything else within distance. Her night vision was a curse to her at the brutal way this stranger killed. Sakura knew killing was part of a vampire's life style, but never had she witnessed such raw brutality. He had truly seemed to welcome the secret demon inside himself.

There was barely anything left of the weremyre's except the high stench of blood that covered everything like a thick paint. Sakura could hardly find the will to move; frightened as he slowly turned to face her from the gruesome slaughter he just committed. The red fog from the moon glinted off the blood like a sick lovers caress.

He smirked as he took long, even strides, stopping a mere foot away from her. "Such innocence in one such as you." he voiced, his hand stroking her jaw with the back of his knuckles; almost laughing aloud with the mocking amusement in his eyes. She was paralysed. All Sakura felt was the raw fear and flight instinct, yet her feet felt cemented to the ground and her legs like jello. All she knew is that she didn't like him. She wanted to run away; far, far away. But with the look he was giving her as he racked his eyes down her form screamed the opposite for himself. He wanted closer, a lot closer. Sakura's eyes widened as she forced herself to move to push him away, _'NO!'_

He let out a growl as he was forced to take a few steps back. His eyes narrowed at her, barring his fangs before he jumped for her. Not for the first time Sakura thanked her inhuman reflexes as she dodged to the left before swinging a kick to his head. He blocked with his forearm and turned his hand around to grab her leg in a heart's beat. Sakura let out a strangled cry as she was thrown a few feet into a brick wall, leaving a few cracks. Her back ached as she crawled herself up the wall to stand on her feet, watching him approach like a cornered mouse.

"Theres no need to be afraid cherry. I promise to make you enjoy it." he whispered in her ear as he crushed his body against hers. He ran his hands over he sides, gently brushing his thumbs around her breasts while he dipped his head to nibble on her ear.

Sakura drew in a sharp breath as she struggled to break free, wincing as he grabbed her hands and crushed them to the wall above her head. She felt tears gathering in her eyes as she cursed her weakness. She cursed the loss of much of her strength while in her vulnerable time; cursed the moon as it still shown in a red fog around them in mockery, cursed the strange vampire against her, cursed the Uchiha brothers, cursed the stupid, stupid rule of her kind.

"St-Stop! Enough!" she tried to scream, only to come out a soft, weak whisper. He smirked as he burried his head into her neck, drawing in the fruit and flowery scent of hers before he froze. Sakura's eyebrows drew together in confusion as he let out a deep growl before disappearing all together. She stood, leaning against the wall for a minute before regaining her senses and flying across the rooftop's to her apartment. No way in the hells was she staying here any longer.

~.~*~.~

Sakura stepped out of the shower and dressed quickly. Her belongings were packed hastily before she decided to cleanse herself from that strange vampire, rubbing herself raw to escape his scent. She would be damned to suffer the curse of the hells again before let a vampire like that take her under his control.

As she drove away from the apartment she used for the last three years, Sakura couldnt help but hate herself for running away again. _'Training. That's the only way I shall be able to keep my word to myself. I dont to run forever.'_Sakura thought as she continued to drive to the airport, her eyes darkening with hard determination.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! For some people who may be confused, this is set between Vampire Dates and Changing Faces as I stated above. There will be a few sets of one-shots I will get out before Changing Faces thou. So it goes; **

**Vampire Dates, **

**Stand your ground(3yrs after VD), **

**Live as you are(5yrs after VD)*coming up*, **

**and a few others that will gradually fill in the years from vampire dates ending to Changing Faces. Remember there's a hundred years for her to choose a mate herself before she can be taken by force.**

**For those of you who don't get who the stranger is, its Gaara. I wanted to mix around with a few more suitors before her time was up, so each one-shot will show how she met some of the other suitors before they show up again in Changing Faces, where unfortunately Itachi and Sasuke don't show up until. **

**Please be sure to tell me what you think so far and dont be afraid to ask any questions!**

**~Kyori **


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